Another Column at MyShelf.Com

Babe To Teens, Past
A Youth Column
By Beverly Rowe


NEW BOOKS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS
NEW: Writing for Children—Tips for Your Success


Paranormal and fantasy stories are the most popular books this season, and here are a few that you are sure to find exciting:

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay You Are So Undead to Me By Stacey Jay
A Zombie apocalypse is in store for you in this story about Megan Berry, who is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you're trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leave the house, it's hard to score a date.

 

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith Eternal By Cynthia Leitich Smith
Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith is a sequel to her popular urban fantasy, Tantalize, set in a dark world of vampires and werewolves, ordinary humans and their invisible guardian angels. Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight. Meanwhile, adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess’s personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl’s soul and plan the Master’s fast-approaching Death Day gala. Dark...hilarious, you will love this one.

 

Orange Crows by James Perry Li and Ryo Kawakami Orange Crows By James Perry Li and Ryo Kawakami
Orange Crows by James Perry Li and Ryo Kawakami is a graphic novel about a group of witches and warlocks out of school. It is unique and appealing to newer, younger fantasy fans; however the darkness of the politics and social mores in Orange Crows makes it also appealing to older fans of urban fantasy. These two aspects should give almost any fantasy fan something to love.

After a bad experiment dealing with magic, student witch Cierra is banished, becoming a Forsaken. She must live five years in exile, never knowing if her best friend Natalie survived the accident.

 

For the Younger set:

The Berenstain Bears' Family Reunion by Stan & Jan Berenstain The Berenstain Bears' Family Reunion
(I Can Read Book 1 — Ages 4-8) (Paperback)
By Stan & Jan Berenstain
The Bears are having a family reunion, and all their relatives are invited. The tree house is ready, the tables are set, and the fun is about to start.

Beginning readers will feel like part of the family with this charming verse book from the much-loved Berenstains.

 

Moon Man by Tomi Ungerer Moon Man
By Tomi Ungerer
The man in the moon is a benevolent, soft-bodied man who curls up in "his shimmering seat in space." Most evenings, he looks over longingly at the happy, dancing earth people, until one night when he can't resist catching the fiery tail of a comet and hitching a ride to Earth, and that starts an exciting tale that will keep everyone guessing.

 


Writing for Children
Tips for your Success

Get started with a Bang!

You have a great idea for a book that is sure to entrance your favorite children. Now what? Getting the right beginning may be the most important thing you do to get it published.

If you don't grab the editor with your first paragraph, he may not even read any further. That goes for your young reader too. If it doesn't start with action, he won't read it. This is not the place for a long-winded description of the setting, or even of your main character.

Johnnie may live in the most beautiful valley in the Adirondacks, but start the story with Grandpa's still exploding, or the wild boar charging out of the trees. You can sneak in tidbits about the setting as you go. Kids want action and plenty of it, so set the hook right away and you are on the fast track to a winner.

Use short sentences, and active verbs, with descriptions to a minimum.

Of course your first chance to grab everyone's attention is with the title. Think your title over carefully. If you didn't know what the story was about, would you reach for a book with your title?

 


 

CONTESTS—WIN GREAT PRIZES

 

March Contest #1 books Win a whole set of the latest picture books by HarperCollins

 


 

March Contest #2 books Win the newest in the Seekers and the Warriors Series from HarperCollins

 


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